Blessed by the Grace of You
by Randomnormality
Summary: Karis O'Connor lived an average, normal life. Or at least, it was until suspicious deaths bring the Winchester brothers to her bar. In the span of twenty-four hours, Karis learns that her average life may not be as normal as she thought. Can she handle the responsibilities placed on her shoulders? Or will she crack? Castiel/OC eventually
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This story is canon up until Season 5 "Swan Song". This story plot popped in my head, so...here it is. This story is going to be built around character development. I promise, Karis is not all-powerful, she has no idea what she is doing, and she will struggle with trying to remain her own person while also struggling with her new identity.**

* * *

**Chapter One  
**_In One Instant_

* * *

_I'm not sure where my story really starts. I can't be sure if what I remember was ever truly real; a veil of falsehood blanketing my vision, keeping me in the dark. I can tell you that my once normal, average life, took a turn for the worst with the arrival of the Winchester Brothers._

_Or maybe it was for the best. I can never truly decide._

* * *

The golden-amber eyes of Karis O'Connor brighten, flecks of green becoming more apparent with her growing humor as her laughter rings through the noise of the bar known as _Arcadia_. Working as a bartender may not be the lifestyle most people find _proper_, but Karis loves what she does for a living. Watching as two of her regulars, Brayden and Archer, bicker over who has a bigger ego, Karis shakes her head in amusement. For the majority of her life, from her high school years and until now, Brayden and Archer were her 'two peas in a pod'. They didn't hesitate on meeting her gaze, her eyes so unique and different that many people flinched upon looking at them. They never questioned her odd quirks, her ease when it came to fighting, or fending for herself, or how easy she takes to helping people in a moment of strife. No. They accepted everything about her: from her petite stature to her sweetened taste buds and the _creepy_ ability to call people on their bullshit.

"Seriously, Karis, you have to tell us: who's sexier?" Karis rolls her eyes as Brayden grins, leaning over the bar slightly as his chocolate brown eyes brighten significantly with innuendoes barely concealed, "It's me, isn't it? I keep trying to tell Archer he doesn't stand a chance, but man, he just won't give up."

"Oi, you piss off," Archer retorts, jabbing his friend in the shoulder, "You're nothing more than an arrogant, self-obsessed bastard, and you know it."

Honestly, Karis has always believed both of her friends to be on the more handsome side. Brayden, the classic 'tall, dark and handsome', easily seduces his way up any skirt he can. Archer, fair-haired and bright-eyed with a natural exuberence, often charms his way through laughter and grace. Not that she's ever seen them as anything more than friends. The two had been the only thing keeping her going over the last ten years, and without them, she knew she would've given into the temptation of letting go of life in general.

Seeing their drinks close to empty, Karis easily refills Brayden's glass of scotch before mixing Archer's Rum and Coke. Sliding them across the bar, she tucks a strand of fiery-red hair behind her ear, giving her friends a cheeky smile. Noticing two men take a pair of seats at the end of the bar, Karis grants her favorite duo a wink before sauntering off. She is not familiar with the new arrivals, it would be hard to forget a pair of handsome men like them. One appears to be taller, chin-length soft brown hair and warm hazel eyes. The second of the pair appears to be more stocky in his stature, but that could be from the three layers of shirts and leather jacket, dark-blonde hair and piercing green eyes defining a different type of handsome.

"What can I get you guys?" she greets warmly, the smile stretched across her face genuine.

Karis's favorite part of her job is meeting people. Coming from a woman that spent most of her life cast out of society for her natural abnormalities, she knows it is strange, but it is true nonetheless. While the majority of humanity is cruel and indifferent to the hurts of others, Karis always managed to see the good in those lost in the world.

"Two beers and two shots of whiskey," the shortest of the two states.

Despite the slightly forced grin on the man's face, Karis nods and stalks off toward the cooler. Extracting two beer bottles, she expertly cracks them open by hooking the caps along the bottom of the bar and pulling against it. Setting the beers in front of the men, she steadily pours their shot glasses and slides them over.

"Anything else I can get you guys?"

The tallest nods, reaching into the front pocket of his jacket and extracting a badge, Karis's eyes widening in surprise at the idea of two agents entering her bar, "We were hoping to ask some questions about suspicious deaths of two people in town."

"I'm not sure I can be much help...uh..." Karis pauses, unsure of what to call them.

"I'm Sam, this is Dean," the tallest offers.

Nodding, Karis flashes him an honest smile, "Not quite sure why two dead guys leads you here."

"Do you recognize the names Andrew Thompson and Oliver Marcum?"

Karis's smile fades, eyes darkening briefly at the names Dean gives, nodding her head slowly, "Yes. They aren't exactly the most pleasant to be around. They've always caused more trouble than they're worth," Karis blinks, her mouth parting slightly, "Oh. It...isn't proper to speak ill of the dead, but I can't say I will miss them."

"Did you know them personally?" Sam questions.

Shifting slightly, she glances back at Brayden and Archer, waving off their concerned tension, "Somewhat, I suppose. I attended school with them. They were...your usual jock-strapping assholes who found it their life mission to make people miserable," Karis turns her gaze back to the two men before her, "About a month ago, they vandalized my bar."

"You were a constant target, I take?" Dean asks, his own gaze turning away from her two friends.

"Unfortunately," Karis blinks again, a small realization snapping in her mind, "Y-you guys don't think I had something to do with this, do you? I may not have cared for the two, but...I wouldn't wish death on a person."

"We're just asking questions, ma'am," Sam says in a manner as though he is trying to calm her down.

Karis nods once again, "Right. Look, all I can tell you is that Thompson and Marcum vandalized my bar, are complete assholes and the last time I saw them, they were thrown out of my bar for being overly-inebriated pigs." Seeing both men share a glance, Karis offers them a shrug, "May I got tend to my other patrons?"

After their silent nods, Karis walks away from the two men, heading back over to the concerned pair, "Refills?"

"Sure. Just as long as you explain what that was about?"

Seeing Archer nod in agreement to Brayden's question, Karis inwardly sighs. It looked like it was going to be a long night.

* * *

"Good morning, Karis," Bethany, the forty-year-old waitress of Karis's favorite diner, greets the fiery-haired woman with a warm, bright smile. "Where are the two handsome devils of yours?"

Karis giggles lightly, a smirk tugging at her lips, "Sleeping off their hangovers."

Bethany laughs in response, "Of course they are. Your usual, I take it?"

"Yes, please."

Bethany walks off, leaving the golden-eyed woman to her thoughts. Deep in the confines of her mind, Karis doesn't notice the two agents from last night enter the diner. Nor does she notice when the tallest of the two nudges the other, motioning to her lone figure sitting at the table before they approach her.

"Hey," Karis snaps out of her thoughts, emerald-flecked honey eyes widening in surprise at the sight of the two agents from last night, "Do you mind if we join you? We wanted to ask a few follow up questions."

"Oh," she blinks, flashing them both a smile, "Sure."

As they slide into the booth seat across from her, Karis catches sight of Bethany approaching with her ice coffee, "Here you go, Karis." Karis feels the child-like glee at the whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles and the caramel drizzle topping her ice coffee, her index finger swiping at the fluffy cream, "Oh. I don't recognize you two."

Tugging her finger from her mouth, Karis lets out a small moan at the sweetened flavors dancing along her taste buds, "This is Sam and Dean. They're just passing through town and came into _Arcadia_ last night." She flashes Bethany a grin, "Just so you know, I might need another of these by the time my food shows up."

Bethany nods before taking their orders, Karis sipping the iced coffee through the straw, rich caramel mixing with coffee and she giggles inwardly when she realizes Bethany gave her an extra few shots of caramel flavoring. After Bethany brings them both their black coffees, Sam addings sugars and creams, Karis brings her gaze back to the men.

"Alright. Ask away."

Sam is the first to speak, "Has there ever been any suspicious deaths before Marcum and Thompson?"

"Suspicious, as in the weird or unexplained?" Seeing both men nod, Karis ponders over the question before nodding slowly, "Well, there were the Karma Killings that started a couple years ago."

"Karma Killings?" Dean quips curiously, leaning toward her to show his interest.

"Yeah. Most of them happened at the high school. The first one happened during my Sophomore year. This kid, Nicolas Brant, was what you would consider to be a stereotypical nerd: scrawny, small, glasses and very intelligent. One day, he didn't show up for classes and no one really thought it was strange, even though Nicolas was known to have a perfect attendence record. Half-way through the school day, Elizabeth Morgan opened her locker and he tumbled out, dead at her feet," Both of the men don't seem too bothered by her words, so she continues, "Rumor has it, that Nicolas died from his heart giving out after a panic attack, the kid was claustrophobic. A few days later, Elizabeth was found after she hung herself, apparently unable to handle seeing some dead kid fall out of her locker. A week later, Paul Macintosh was found dead in his athletic locker, a neck-tie wrapped tight around his throat."

"So...Macintosh killed them?" Sam surmizes. "Were there any other deaths like that?"

Karis nods slowly, swallowing another mouthful of her iced coffee, "Cynthia Marks was a girl that fought leukemia most of her life. The treatments left her without any hair, so she wore a wig. Maria Santiago was a real bitch. In front of everyone, she yanked Cynthia's wig off and told her that she should just kill herself to end her ugly, miserable life," Karis watches as Dean's eyes darken and Sam winces sympathetically, "Cynthia didn't do anything, but she did go into a spiraling depression. A few days later, Maria was found, viciously descalped, apparently having died from the traumatic experience."

"So...these people died in the same manner of their crimes?" Karis nods in response to Dean's question, "And authorities never closed the cases?"

"No evidence was found that could convict anyone at the school. There were more deaths like them and students began calling them the Karma Killings. Suddenly, the bullying stopped, people too scared to do much, and...eventually the Karma Killings just stopped."

"Maybe not," Dean states, causing Karis's eyes to squint in confusion, "Thompson and Marcum were found dead, apparently forced to ingest a dangerously large amount of spray paint."

A sickening twist in the pit of her stomach causes Karis to drop her gaze, her body shuddering and eyes squeezing shut at the reminder, Sam's gentle voice breaking through her flood of memories, "They didn't _just_ vandalize your bar, did they?"

"If it wasn't for Brayden and Archer, I would have died," Karis admits, a sickening, phantom taste filling her senses, causing her to swallow back the bile in her throat.

"Here you three go," Bethany's voice breaks through the sudden silence.

Karis blinks back her memories at the sight of triple-stacked chocolate pancakes placed down in front of her. Seeing the large amount of whipped cream, powdered sugar and chocolate shavings topping the pancakes, Karis is unable to stop the grin from her forming on her lips. She doesn't see the slight widening of the eyes of her companions as she thanks Bethany, her hand bathing the pancakes in maple syrup. Cutting off a section, Karis lets out a long, drawn out moan as the highly-confectionate food hits her taste buds, the phantom flavor fading behind sugar, chocolate, cream and syrup.

"That's...a lot of sugar," Dean points out.

Seeing the slightly sickened look on their faces, she giggles, swallowing the food, "Brayden and Archer often said they feel themselves getting cavities just watching me eat."

"Does the name Gabriel mean anything to you?" Dean suddenly asks, the tallest of the two shooting him a pointed look that goes ignored.

Karis tilts her head, thinking over the question before cocking an eyebrow, "The only person I've ever known to be named Gabriel is out of that book of biblical nonsense people put so much faith in."

"You're an Athiest?" Sam questions, almost as if he is surprised.

"I prefer Agnostic. Faith in a higher power of some kind, sure. Devoting my time and energy into a religion based off of words of Man? No thanks," Karis comments lightly, popping another mouthful of sticky-sweet pancakes. "So...do you guys think the Karma Killings and the deaths of Thompson and Marcum are connected?"

"Possibly. We will need to follow some of the leads you've given us," Sam responds and Karis smiles in a sheepish manner.

Not accustomed to people being nice to her, Karis's unique gaze drops to her almost-finished plate, "Uh, no problem. If you guys have anymore questions, you can look me up."

Flashing both of them a timid grin, Karis stands from the booth, slapping down two twenties, "Breakfast is on me, boys. Good luck on your case."

Giving Bethany a gentle wave, Karis slips out of the diner, her hands immediately digging into the pockets of her jacket. Fishing out a cigarette, the fiery-haired woman instantly lights the end of the cigarette before starting her way down the streets. She never sees the darkened figure reach out from the alley until cold fingers wrap around her wrist, yanking her into the shadowed alley. Grunting as her back is slammed against a wall, her cigarette dropping from her lips, she glances up into dark brown eyes of the intimidating man before her.

"What the hell, man?" she belts out, groaning as the man's grip tightens.

"I didn't think you'd slip up so easily, brother."

Opening her mouth to tell him to shove his thoughts up his ass, her world goes dark as firm knuckles connects with the side of her head.

* * *

"How are you alive?"

"When a man and a woman decide to give into their temptations-" Her response is cut off as a fist connects with her unprotected torso, the burning pain of bones breaking and possible internal bleeding causing her to groan.

"Still as petulant as ever, aren't you brother?"

"For the last time, I lack the necessary plumbing to be considered someone's brother, you dick," Karis snarks, her honey-gold eyes lit up with pain and defiance.

Feeling the fist connect with the side of her head, shadows beginning to toy with the edges of her vision, Karis spits out the blood accumilating in her mouth, "I've had enough of your games, Gabriel. If you won't come out, I'll just force you out."

Opening her mouth, her witty response is cut off as a hoarse cry escapes her, the man's hand plunging into her chest. The insane burning seems to flow through her entire body, her nerves shuddering as those cruel fingers brushes against something so...intangible, yet so real. A noise of curiosity sounds from the man, her cries growing louder when his fingers curls around the burning warmth in her chest.

"Ah...there you are."

"Raphael!"

The new voice rings through her head, her blurry gaze managing to see the two agents standing in the doorway with a third man. Her cry for help is cut off by a choked gasp as this man before her, Raphael, clenches his hand tighter around the warmth in her.

"Don't!"

An inadubile shattering sound seems to go off in her head as the hand squeezes tighter, the warmth within her breaking, as if made of glass. Everything around her darkens, even as her head tosses back, eyes wide open and a piercing scream ringing clear through the night.

* * *

_"Well, Hello there, sweet child of my blessed grace," the cheeky voice causes her eyes to open._

_The room is gone, replaced by the familiar sight of Arcadia, though empty and quite. The man standing behind the bar grins and she watches as a glass of whiskey is pushed in front of her._

_"Who are you?"_

_"My name is Gabriel, Karis. Unfortunately for you, I __**am**__ the droid they're looking for," the response is humored, yet saddened._

_"Why me? What's going on?"_

_"Why my dear, you are what is referred to as the successor to my grace," Her head tilts curiously, "You were a child born of anger, hatred and fear," Golden eyes dim, memories of her mother telling her the truth of her father, "I watched for sometime, but when that man pushed your mother down the stairs, I decided to deal a sense of justice. You were not supposed to live, but your mother begged and prayed for your life and thus, I bestowed upon you a touch of my grace."_

_"Why?"_

_"You know why," Gabriel states, "Remember those all-too-realistic dreams."_

_"You're dead," Karis points out, remembering the horrid dream of coming face to face with the Fallen One._

_"My power is your's."_

_"How do I use them?"_

_"Why do you think I'm here?" Karis looks up into the bright blue eyes, "I'm here to help you come into your right. Now...I'm afraid you need to go for now. Tell the Winchester boys I say hi."_

_Gentle fingers press against her forehead and a flash of light burns bright, forcing her eyes to close._

* * *

Opening her eyes, Karis immediately snaps upright from her prone position. Seeing the two men from earlier, her body tenses, limbs shaking.

_Ah...aren't they a sight for sore eyes. Although...they seem to be missing someone._

Karis blinks, her finger massaging her temples gently, "You wouldn't happen to be the Winchester boys the voice in my head is demanding I say 'hi' to, are you?"

Once again, Karis realizes as the two men tense, that it is looking to be a long day.

* * *

****_That was the beginning of where my life turned on point. Seeing both men nod, I knew that the man from my dreams was exactly who he said he was. I wanted to deny it. I wanted to turn away and ignore it._

_Apparently, Fate had different plans for me._

* * *

**That's it for chapter one! Leave reviews and let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: This story is canon up until Season 5 "Swan Song". This story plot popped in my head, so...here it is. This story is going to be built around character development. I promise, Karis is not all-powerful, she has no idea what she is doing, and she will struggle with trying to remain her own person while also struggling with her new identity.**

* * *

**Chapter Two  
**_Decisions We Make_

* * *

_There has only been a selection of moments in my life where I had to make a choice; a decision that would change my life. I never thought I would have to make another one; a choice so life changing that there was no turning back once it was made. The hardest decision I ever had to make was walking away from a life of comfort and solidarity and dive head first into a life of chaos and pain. __The comforts I obtained in the new life were few and far between._

_Yet, they were comforts welcomed no matter how brief they were. _

* * *

Sitting at the small, round table placed in the rather bland motel room, Karis stirs the contents of her coffee mug, her mind hyper-aware of the stares directed at her. The thoughts in her head muddle together, confusing one life with another. Had her entire life been a lie? Was she really Karis O'Connor? Or was she really the next archangel?

_There's no need to think so low of yourself. You are still you. You are just now more awesome._

"I killed those people, didn't I?" she asks, her voice uncharacteristically low and somber, saddened golden eyes lifting to meet the pair of gazes of the two men sitting across from her, "You said that Gabriel masqueraded himself as the demi-god Loki and punished people in a similar manner to their crimes. Did I kill those people?"

Even during the brief time she's known the two men, Sam and Dean Winchester, she finds them familiar. She blames it on the new addition to her personality, the secondary voice in her head; Gabriel. Sam, compassionate, simple and troubled with struggles of wanting a normal life away from the chaos that rules his life. Dean, stubborn, crass and loyal to a fault, is a man haunted by aching memories and determined to do anything, and everything, to secure the safety of those he considers family. Both men carry similarities, yet their personalities are so different it is sometimes surprising they are related.

"You said the Karma Killings started your Sophomore year, and after doing some research, we found that the Karma Killings stopped after you graduated. Were there any periods of time that you can't recall?" Sam questions, his voice sympathetic.

Confused, Karis glances down at her hands, watching them shake with the fear of what she was, "I...I don't know. I mean, I had episodes where I would pass out frequently, but the hospital told me it was from having a low blood pressure. That my body couldn't handle certain amounts of stress without trying to shut itself down. I...this has to be a horrible dream, right? Why did that man want with me?"

"Raphael is the only remaining Archangel in Heaven," Dean states, his eyes darkening as he recalls a memory of some kind, "He's obviously been able to keep tabs on us, and he must have recognized your grace as Gabriel's. He probably believed Gabriel faked his death again and went into hiding."

"Why me? What does he want with Gabriel?"

"Gabriel was the last Archangel to stand against the pending Apocalypse," Karis shudders, flickers of images foreign and yet familiar flashing through her mind as Sam's words ring through her mind, "He died at the hands of Lucifer, but not before giving us a way to trap Lucifer and Michael into the cage Lucifer was kept in all these ages. Raphael was one of the angels that wanted to Apocalypse to happen, so...in his eyes, he might not believe you _aren't_ Gabriel."

"I'm not," Karis murmurs, her fingers tracing along the side of her head, "He's in here though, like...a second voice, or personality. I always had odd dreams, almost like memories, that I don't recall ever remembering. He said they were his, slipping through the wall separating his grace from my soul."

"So, Gabriel's in your head?" Dean smirks, as if it is amusing, "How is that going for you?"

_Mystery Spot._

"Mystery Spot?" Karis reiterates, watching Dean's smirk fall from his lips, "Sorry. He...isn't as troublesome as I thought. He says he is willing to help coach me through my abilities, though...I'm not sure I can."

"What do you mean?"

"If I did all those things subconsciously, then...that means I don't have control. I don't even know where to begin," Karis's frustration forces her fingers to tighten around the coffee mug, a flinch jerking her body as the ceramic object shatters in her hands, "Grr...I don't even understand how this happened."

_Raphael shattered the wall between my grace and your soul. It is causing them to merge together, blending together._

Karis nods to the voice in her head, looking up in surprise as a wash cloth wipes away the coffee and ceramic shards, Sam giving her a gentle smile, "Don't worry. We'll help you out."

"How the hell do you expect us to do that?" Dean questions, his words echoing Karis's thoughts, "Last time I checked, we don't know how an angel's mojo works."

_Castiel._

"Castiel?" Karis questions, confused by the name whispered in her mind, wincing when Dean shoots her an annoyed look, "Sorry. Gabriel said it, but I don't recognize the name."

"You know, she has a point...or at least Gabriel does. Cas would know how to help her better than we would," Sam states, ignoring the way his brother nods reluctantly.

"Yeah..." Dean sighs out, his eyes lifting to the ceiling, "Yo, Cas! Get your feathered ass down here!"

Karis snorts humorlessly, only to yelp when a trench-coat wearing man appears to her left. Groaning as her knee bounces off the underside of the table, the man's sudden appearance causing her to jump in her seat. Tension fills her as the dark-haired man's gaze moves from Dean to look upon her, her nervous tension growing as piercing blue eyes peers at her in a curious manner.

"Hello, Gabriel."

"Stop calling me Gabriel! My name isn't fucking Gabriel!"

The words leave her lips faster than she can stop them, but seems to cause Dean to snicker at Castiel's surprised expression, "I apologize. You are Karis?" The fiery-haired woman nods curtly, uncomfortable with his unblinking stare, "It is unheard of that an Archangel would allow a human to harbor their grace, without the human being a vessel."

"Dude, Cas, Gabriel wasn't exactly the usual brand of angel," Dean points out.

_Awww...they really love me. I think I might shed a tear._

Karis giggles at the cooing tone echoing in the back of her mind and blushes when three gazes peer at her in a mixture of curiosity, worry and almost expressionless confusion, "Sorry. Gabriel is a rather amusing...being."

Dean and Sam both snort in disagreement, but Castiel leans toward her slightly, causing her to shift back in her seat, "Gabriel's voice speaks to you?"

Karis blushes again, her cheeks burning softly as she bows her head, "Uh, yes. He suggested that you would be able to help me try to get a handle on these...abilities I've gained."

Castiel seems genuinely surprised by her words before he nods slowly, "It would be an honor."

"Honor?"

Dean snorts, jabbing his thumb in Castiel's direction, "Cas carried a certain respect for Gabriel that he didn't have for the rest of the Archangels."

Castiel's eyes shoot over to Dean, darkening briefly, "I respect all of my brethren."

"Even the one that killed you?" Dean snarks.

Castiel remains silent, leaving Karis's gaze to flick over to Sam, who rolls his eyes in a way that suggests the two bicker often. The bickering doesn't seem to hold any hostility, but in fact seems to carry a sibling-like tone. At least, from what she can tell, Castiel doesn't seem offended, only resigned to the facts placed before him.

"Well, as nice as this chat has been, I need to get ready to open," Karis states, standing up from her chair.

"That is not the most wise decision," Castiel's roughened voice causes Karis to glance over at the angel, "Raphael will seek you out."

"Yeah, well, I'm not putting my life on hold because some self-righteous, arrogant asshat believes me to be his _brother_," Karis retorts, angered by their disregard for her life, "Besides, two agents come to the bar and the next day I don't show up? Brayden and Archer will start a manhunt."

* * *

Her legs burned from excursion, her body crying out for relief as she continued in her dead sprint. She didn't care about how dangerous it is to have her heart pumping as fast as it is. She didn't care that her ankle screams, pleading her to remove the consistent appliance of pressure added to the aching joint. She didn't care that her entire right arm had gone numb by now, the subtle tingle reminding her of the dull pain surrounding her shoulder. She didn't care that her body is shaking, quivering from the cold, icy rain; the tight-fitted white t-shirt sporting the Ramones logo sticking to her torso like a second layer of skin, her electric-blue skinny jeans darkened from their naturally bright shade as it grows more waterlogged. Skidding along the ice-sprinkled parking lot, Karis tries to remember which room she had been in just hours before. Stumbling up the staircase, she hisses as her bruised and battered knuckles ram against the door in an urgent manner.

"It's four in the fucking morn-" the grumbling voice of Dean Winchester greets her ears, her head swirling with pain and weariness, never seeing the widening of his green eyes as he stares at her in shock, "Karis?! Jesus fuck!"

Groaning as her body shudders, her knees buckling under the weight of her exhausted body, Karis's head whirls, her red-stained eyes watching as Dean's lips move rapidly. Numbly aware of strong arms catching her before she hits the floor, she wonders why she can't hear anything but the throbbing pulse beating against the side of her head. Silently, expressionless golden eyes watch as Dean kneels before her seated form, the warm air of the room hitting the wet skin of her torso, her arms dropping back to her sides. She stares at the searching green eyes, curiously wondering what seemed so important as his lips continue to move, another pair of arms appearing in her line of vision as a large, white first-aid kit is dropped to Dean's lap.

_This isn't your fault. You need to breathe. You need to calm down. You're forcing your body into a state of shock._

Closing her burning, pin-prickled eyes, the aftermath of tears marking her bloodstained and bruised cheek, she inwardly tells Gabriel to leave her alone. Of course this wasn't her fault. It was his! Her father's. Her mother's. The Winchesters' even. No. They tried to warn her what would happen. Karis muses over why she is such a stubborn fuck-up.

_Stop. Thinking like this is not going to fix anything._

"Sh-sh-shut up-p!" she stutters out, her eyes sliding open just in time to see Dean grabbing her arm at an odd angle.

**Pop!**

The sickening sounds seems to echo the flaring pain in her shoulder, "S-s-stop. N-no mo-ore. I-I c-ca-"

"Woah, calm down," Dean's gruff voice murmurs, his tone softened and urging, "We've gotcha."

Her legs slowly pull up, arms wrapping around the back of her knees as her forehead moves to rest upon the central joints of her legs. Closing her eyes, she feels her body shake and shudder, the cold, sleek skin of her torso only pushing her deeper into despair. Large, calloused hands grab her arms, pulling her out of her curled position, and a warm, black t-shirt is yanked over her head. Feeling the sudden warmth against her cold skin, Karis can't stop the tremors, her eyes burning with newfound tears.

"Karis?" Sam's soft, sympathetic voice calls out, and as kind as Sam is, Karis flinches away from the sound, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Golden eyes slide shut as her body begins to respond to the warmth wrapping around her, her head dropping forward to rest on the broad shoulders of the oldest brother kneeling before her. She wants to move back the moment the body she presses against tenses, instinctively or maybe out of surprise. She wants to throw a never-ending slew of apologies. She wants to talk, but all she can think about is the warmth and safety surrounding her. When those strong arms wrap around the back of her shoulders, hands awkwardly patting her back, her eyes squeeze shut, arms wrapping around his waist as she tries to forget the blood, tears, agony and explosive heat.

"C'mon," the gruff voice sounds muffled, as if her head is submerged under water, "Let's get ya some sleep."

_Aw...and I thought Dean-O didn't do 'chick-flick moments'._

She pleads with Gabriel to go away as she feels her head gently placed on a pillow, her arms instinctively wrapping around the source of warmth, even as a sigh of reluctance echoes through her ears. She pleads for all of this to be a horrible nightmare as her fingers curl around the fabric of his shirt, a distant, familiarity filling her. Silent sobs racks her body, warm tears trailing down her cheeks when she realizes why the Winchester brothers felt so familiar. It wasn't just Gabriel's memories. It was her own: of a handsome, tall and dark-haired man with a penchant for flirting and a charming, fair-haired, bright-eyed man with easy-going mannerisms.

"M'sorry," she murmurs into the cloth-covered chest, "M'so sorry."

* * *

"It's all gone."

The words escape her lips, empty and expressionless as she places her coffee mug back on the table, even the familiar eight-sugared, three-creamed coffee not able to bring her natural hype back. Looking up at the two brothers sitting across from her, just like yesterday, Karis drops her gaze once more. She had been embarrassed and awkward when she woke up in Dean's arms. He assured her that it had been fine, 'Just lucky you're a babe,' he had commented, obviously trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work, but she appreciated the effort.

"What's gone?" Sam's compassionate voice asks.

"_Arcadia_," she murmurs, "It's...gone. Caved in from the explosion in the second-level loft apartment upstairs."

"Explosion?" Dean questions, leaning toward her like he had the morning in the diner, "What explosion?"

"I had been in the middle of making a mid-night snack, some simple ramen. I heard a cry from downstairs, I figured one of them had broken something again. I left to check it out and...they..." Karis swallows the sickening lump in her throat, "Gabriel said they were demons. I watched from the staircase as the ripped into them, tearing them apart as if they were playthings, toys. The blood was everywhere. One caught sight of me when I ran back upstairs. I managed to block the door for some time, giving me some time to pack some clothes, and I was half-way out the window when they busted in. I used the cigarette I had been smoking and threw in the direction of the stove," Karis shudders, remembering the quick decision to destroy her saving grace, her Haven. "The blast knocked my ass out of the window before I had been prepared and...I fell."

"You keep saying, 'they'. Who are they?" Sam asks.

"Brayden and Archer," her saddened voice responds, "My boys. My two crazy peas in a pod of insanity. My...family. My home. Everything...just gone."

The moment of silence following her admission is broken when Dean stands up from the table, "Well...looks like you'll be coming with us, sweet cheeks. Angels are one thing, but if Crowley has his demons coming after you, it's just going to get worse."

"Why the demons?"

"Raphael wants to destroy whatever is left of Gabriel. Crowley, if given the slightest chance, would want to use the grace of an Archangel to...well...whatever he's planning can't be good, that's for sure," Sam responds, causing her to nod slowly.

"I guess I really don't have much choice," she states sadly, "I don't really have anything keeping me here, but...before we leave, can we make one stop?"

* * *

"Hiya, Ma," Karis greets the cold headstone marking the grave of her mother, "I know you told me never to runaway, to stand and fight for myself. I'm sorry I'm not strong enough to do this, this time around. I don't know when I'll be back, or if I can even bring myself to come back to this place. I...I guess I just wanted to pay you my respects one last time. I know you fought, fought so hard to bring me into this world and keep me safe, and I promise, I promise that I will do everything I can to overcome these...abilities. I will overcome them, control them and I will kill every last son of a bitch responsible for killing off the last of my family. I promise you, Ma. I will make this right."

* * *

_I don't recall ever getting a chance to return to my mother's grave site. Leaving my hometown was the hardest decision I had to make, but I know now that it was the best decision I could have made. There wasn't anything keeping me there anymore. I had lost my family, my home, my life, in the span of forty-eight hours._

_But, I like to think I gained something else along the way._

* * *

**That's it for chapter one! Leave reviews and let me know what you think. I promise, this IS a Cas/Karis fic. The awkward-Dean/emotional-Karis moment isn't something that will occur often, but Karis has the personality that makes her lean on the gruff one rather than the sensitive one because all she wants to do is forget. There will be Sam/Karis bonding moments and the trio will slowly develop a family-like bond. 'The little sister they never had' syndrome. Thanks again for reading. Let me know what you think!**

**winterfellsfallenangel: Thanks luv! I'm glad you enjoyed it.**

**FreedomWriter15: Thanks. I am glad you have taken a liking to the story. I only hope I don't stray away from the plot, as I sometimes find my brain trying to do.**

**FrostIvy: Hey, I figured, out of all the angels, Gabriel's been on Earth longer than any of the others. The idea that he might of helped someone, instead of smiting them, is a possibility. Gabriel's 'personality' is going to grow into a familial, almost father/brother aspect as Karis begins to accept him. It isn't going to be an easy ride for her, I promise.**

**SPECIAL THANKS TO MY MINIONS (FOLLOWERS):**

**Addictedtoreading452  
Emerald Eme-Pon Walker  
FreedomWriter15  
Frostivy  
Pein's Kid  
blackcat711  
mcgonagiggles  
**


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